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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
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282
Atman and Mokṣa
The body acts as the place or instrument of experiencing of the soul. It is said in the Nyāya Sutras of Gotama-"Body is the site of gesture, senses and sentiments." Vidyabhushana makes the place of the body clear in his commentary on the above Sütra-He writes-"Body is the site of gesture inasmuchas it strives to reach what is desirable and avoid what is hateful. It is also the site of senses for the latter act well or ill, according as the former is in good or bad order. Sentiments which comprise pleasure and pain are also located in the body which experiences them." The body serves as an indispensable means for the various experiences of the soul. It would be impossible for the soul to get any kind of psychical experience without a physical body. Body serves as an inevitable link in the process of enjoyment of pleasure because the organs with which we enjoy objects of the external world, are studded in the body. Frequently body is condemned to be vile by the lovers of the spirit but it is a real and hard fact which the Nyaya system recognises, that, without a physical body no mental or spiritual experiences become possible. Jayanta Bhaṭṭa summarises in brief in the following way: He writes"The ground or place of the experiences (Bhoga) of the soul is the body; the instruments of experience are the sense organs, the objects of experiences are the objects of sense organs and the expe. riences belong to the intellect or understanding
1 1
Acharya Shri Kailashsagarsuri Gyanmandir
1 Vidyabhushan S. C. (Tr.): The Nyaya Sutras of Gotama, Sutra 1.1.11.
8 Ibid. p. 5.
For Private And Personal
| SR No. | 020053 |
| Book Title | tman_and_moksa |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | G N Joshi |
| Publisher | Gujarat University |
| Publication Year | 1965 |
| Total Pages | 901 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 12 MB |